鈥淭he Properties of Perpetual Light鈥� received a gold medal in the category of Best Regional Non-Fiction for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Rim 鈥� making this the first gold medal for UOG Press and the book鈥檚 second national book award. In 2021, the book also won 鈥淏est Multicultural Nonfiction鈥� in American Book Fest鈥檚 Best Book Awards.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor to have helped UOG Press win another IPPY award,鈥� Aguon said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just happy that the Press is getting the acclaim it so richly deserves, and I look forward to reading all the other authors whose books are in the works.鈥�

Aguon鈥檚 essay 鈥淭o Hell With Drowning鈥� was also selected as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. The essay was published in The Atlantic last November and shares the stories of Indigenous Pacific Island communities fighting against the destruction of climate change to achieve a more hopeful future.

Despite its release in March of last year, at the height of the pandemic, 鈥淭he Properties of Perpetual Light鈥� continues to receive national acclaim for its striking poetry and impactful prose that weaves together the magic of Micronesia; the wisdom of the islands; and the loss, beauty, and sacrifice that make it all worth saving. Among many things, the book 颅颅provides searing political commentary on the lived realities of growing up in the Pacific Islands during the threat of the climate crisis and nuclear warfare.

鈥淭he Properties of Perpetual Light鈥� will be republished for international distribution by Astra House in New York City under the new title, 鈥淣o Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies.鈥� The book is expected for release on Sept. 13 and will include an introduction by Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy and a new afterword by Aguon.

UOG Press will continue to distribute 鈥淭he Properties of Perpetual Light鈥� on their website and in stores throughout Micronesia.

For more information or to order copies of 鈥淭he Properties of Perpetual Light,鈥� contact Via De Fant at defantv@triton.uog.edu.